Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis ruled out of ODI series against Sri Lanka
Jun 15, 2022
Pallekele [Sri Lanka], June 15 : Australian team's injury woes deepened on Wednesday as star all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out of the remainder of the ODI series against Sri Lanka due to a side strain, Cricket Australia announced.
Matthew Kuhnemann and Travis Head have been called up as the replacement player for Stoinis for the remaining four ODI games. The blow to Stoinis, who suffered a side strain while he was batting during the first ODI at the Pallekele Stadium, leaves Australia without a fully fit seam-bowling allrounder.
The 32-year-old will play no further part in the five-match series. Stoinis smashed 44 off 31 to help his side in Tuesday's two-wicket win in Pallekele. Ashton Agar appears unlikely to play any further part in the one-day international series. Agar, who also got injured on Tuesday evening's two-wicket win over Sri Lanka, will remain in Sri Lanka with the one-day squad but his focus looks set to shift towards regaining fitness for the two-Test series in Galle.
Australia have amassed a growing list of injuries in the early stages of the tour. Fast bowler Kane Richardson has already flown home due to a hamstring problem and Mitchell Starc, Sean Abbott and Mitchell Marsh are also out of action and Cameron Green not fit enough to bowl against Sri Lanka.
With Mitchell Starc still sidelined due to a finger injury, it has become a horror tour injury-wise for the Aussies, who have now had six players go down in less than a fortnight.
"We'll try our best not for that to happen. The planning was going to be for perfect preparation," ESPNcricinfo quoted Test captain Pat Cummins, who is back in action after resting a hip problem, as saying.
"We have the Aussie A team over here with a big squad. There's always going to be some things that crop up, so it's not ideal with the number of injuries that have happened, but we'll strike that balance. The Test matches are certainly front of mind even in this [one-day] series, so I don't think much will change from what I'm going do this series," he added.
Talking about the match, A powerful 80-run knock by Maxwell, backed by Steven Smith's half-century guided Australia to a two-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first ODI of the five-match series, here at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
